Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-09-09
1T huntingdon s tanaard
THEII0USEO on THE MARSH;
THE MYSTERY OF THE ALDERS.
EY FLORENCE WARDEN.
CHAPTER XX.

Laurence was silent. leaving his father
to do the talking. When we reached
the Aldcrs he alighted and after help
Ing me ont told his father to drive on
Is he would walk the rest Of the way.
lie came inside the gate with me.
.'Violet." he said. very graveiy Il
fear | have done wrong in consenting
to my fathers wishes"
He was playing nervously with my
hand, holding it against HIS breast, and
looking into my eyes so miSerably, poor
fellow. Look here, Violet!' said he,
suddenly. as if struck by a happy
thought. '1f any man, while l am
away, tells you you are nice, and tries
to make YOU think he is very fond of
yOu-no matter who it is-Mr. Rayner
Or-or my father, or any man-don't
take any notice, and don't believe
them"
But poor Laurence was more inno-
cent than l if he thought l did not know
what he meant. He was Jealous of Mr.
Rayner, and l could not persuade him
how absurd it was.
said: Every well, laurence" but
he was not satisfied. He went on try
ing to justify himself-not to me-he
wanted no justification in my eyes-but
to himself.
what could l do. when my old dad
offered to do SO much for me. but let
him have his wayp But it was wrong,
l know. Our engagement ought to
have been open from the first; and his
weakness in not daring to face my
mother was no worse than mine in Civ
ing way to him. And now l am tor
tured lest my weakness should be Wis
tied on you, child; for can not even
write to you openly, and, if l inclose
letters to you to my dear old blunder-
ing dad, you will certainly never get
them"
''Why not send them to Mrs Man.
ners, Laurence? Then they would be
quite safe. And you don't mind her
knowing, do you? think she gucsses
something already" said I, smiling,
remembering how she sent me to the
gate to meet him on the previous Fri
day evening, the very night when he
first told me he loved me.
He caught at the suggestion eagerly.
THAT IS capital idea, my darling.
I'll go to her before breakfast to-mor-
row morning and ask her to look after
you as much as she can while l am
away. My mother thinks she holds my
destiny in her hand; but she is mis-
taken; and within the next six weeks
she must find it out; for, if she wishes
to stay abroad longer, she will have to
stay alone. By the third week in No.
vember shall be back in England, and
before the month is out you must be
my wife. my darling"
''Oh, Laurence. SO soon!
$50 soon? Why, it is century of,
shall be gray-headed if we wait an.
other week. l am not sure where we
shall stay; but tomorrow night l will
bring you an address that you can al
ways write to. 1t is that of friend Of
mine-I forget the number of the street.
but you shall have it; and 1 shall bt
sure to get your letters. Now, if any
thing happens to alarm you, or you are
ill, or any thing, you are to write Al
once, and will return to Geldham
without delay. And, my darling"
We were interrupted by Mr.. loves
carriage coming from the house. He
said Haidee was not dangerously i'll as
yet, but she should be removed from
the Alders to drier climate when she
got better.
''Is that young Reade? Is that you
Laurence?" said the doctor, peerine
out of the carriage window into the
deep shadow of the trees behind me.
Laurence came forward.
Eyes, DR.. Lowe"
"Oh, ah! Come to inquire about tn,
sick child, l suppose?"
mo, DR.. Lowe. l drove back from
Beaconsburgh with my father and thi
lady, after calling upon you. and an
saying goodbye to her, as l am goins
abroad, and shall not see her again un
til few days before she becomes my
wife," said he, in low voice, but ver1
proudly, with his hand on my shoulder
"Wife, eh?" -incredulously.
"But it is a secret"
"Oh, all, of course"
$50 this is the Miss Christie I've heart
SO much aboutr' And he deliberatel,
put on his spectacles and stared at m
in the faint moonlight. ''Well, sh
wouldn't have turned the heads of tn
men VIII N was young"
We both laughed at the old man
rudeness.
IL have no doubt heads were harde
to turn then. DIR. Love-" said Laurence
dryiy.
"Well, take care some one els
doesn't turn hers while you are away!'
and he drove rapidly away.
The doctor was an old bachelo
equally noted for his rudeness and hi
skill. knew Mr. Rayner did not lik
him. but l thought Haidee's illness jus
titled me in acting on my responsible
ty. His last remark seemed to strik
Laurence as an evil omen.
"See what clever DIR. Lowe thinks q
your Mr.. Rayner, Violet" said he
looking anxiously into my eyes. mo,
listen, my darling. Don't trust him
don't trust anybody while l am away
and don't believe what anybody ma
tell you about me. What would yo
do if they showed you the certificate {
my marriage to another woman, Vic
let?''
"Oh, Laurence, you are not goin
away to bs.marr;ed. are-you?"
"No, child, no; and, if any one tell
you so, you will know it is lie. AnG
il you get no letters, and they tell 20
am dead"
"Oh, Laurence, don'tr'
"Why, that will be a lie, too! sha
be alive and single all the next 81
weeks, and at the end of that time
shall come back and marry you; and,
you want me, shall come back before
my own darling! Goodbye, good
bye!'
He kissed me again and again, the
tore himself from my arms, and dashe
away without daring to look at m
again; and, fearful and trembling.
turned to go back to the house. Bu
Laurence's terrible excitement ha
communicated itself to me, and STAG
gered down the drive, hardly able t
see where was going.
had told Jane to watch for nv re
turn and let me in when / should ring
just as l was going to leave the shelte
OF the trees and cross the gravel spac
to the portico, l saw the figure of
man making its way from the stable
toward the back of the house. He wa
carrying trunk or portmanteau
which seemed to be heavy. He disar
peared behind the house and in a fey
minutes returned followed by Sarah
And then l saw that the man wa
Tom Parkes; and l would hay
given the world to know what he ha
brought Sarah. The impression @